Fairytales of Angels
by GT Spuddie
Summary: Because in every fairytale there is a grain of truth. Set post Freak Nation
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel, though I wish I did. I just borrowed it in order to play for a while.

**Prologue: Fairytale Start**

"Okay youngling, time for bed!

"But my story! You promised you would tell me a story!"

Faced with the big, brown eyes pleading up at him, he couldn't say no. Many in the past had tried and all had failed against that gaze.

"So I did. Which do you want to hear tonight? The Mermaid's story? Beauty and the Beast?"

"No Daddy, I want something new!"

"How about Sleeping Beauty?"

"Heard it!"

"Cinderella?"

"Heard it!"

"The Three Little Pigs?"

"Daddy, I'm almost 6, not a baby. Tell me something new!"

Resigning himself to the fact that this could continue for some time with even more pleading eyes, and quite possibly tears, he gave in and settled on the bed next to his small daughter.

"Okay, okay, lie back and I'll start. Are you comfy? Here goes. This is a story for special people like us. It's the story of the Dark Angel and how she saved us all"

"Once upon a time, but not too long ago, in a place that is fairly close to here, there lived an angel…"

TBC…

_A/N: OK, this is my first Dark Angel fic. It is currently several of chapters long, but I am only posting the first 2. Let me know if I should continue. Reviews and critiques are highly welcome. Nastiness will be ignored, but if any clever or witty insults are contained within the nastiness, they will be remembered and recycled when I can't think up any of my own!_


	2. Babes in the Woods

**Chapter 1: Babes in the Woods**

"_Once upon a time, but not too long ago, in a place that is fairly close to here, there lived an angel. Now, she didn't know that she was an angel, but she knew that she was different. She grew up in a bad place where they made her strong and fast, but they tried to take away her emotions, her feelings and her spirit. They made her and her siblings…"_

"_What's a sibling, Daddy?"_

"_A sibling is another word for a brother or sister. May I continue?"_

"_Yes you may, Daddy."_

_"Thank you. Now, the bad people made the angel and her siblings fight each other, and punished them when they would not. They were given numbers to tell them apart, but they soon decided that they needed names…"_

Being Transgenic, Max had an excellent memory. It was coded into her genetics. But even Transgenics suffered from the fuzzy memory of early childhood. The earliest that she could recall was from when she was about 3, and her and her unit were assembling puzzles in the classroom. She could remember the brightly colored blocks of various shapes, and the slight feeling of satisfaction upon successful completion of her task.

The rest of her memories were so similar, the cold classrooms, the unending tests, the long days of learning broken up only by exercise drills and combat training. The only memories that stood out from the rest seemed to involve colors.

The blood flowing from Eva's body.

The card with the Blue Lady.

The balloon.

Looking back on it, Max would realise that the balloon was their first act of rebellion. To ignore a direct order and not hand it over had been unthinkable up until then. It wasn't too long after that they chose their names.

Some, like Zach and Ben, chose theirs from the reading material and case files that they had been supplied with over the years. Others, Jondy and Tenga included, chose theirs because they liked the sounds made. Max's name had popped into her head and had refused to leave, but it suited her so it was accepted.

From then on, every time a designation was barked out the same refrain would run through each of their heads.

"X5-493"Ben, my name is Ben.

"X5-599"Zach, my name is Zach.

"X5-452"Max. My name is Max.

"_And so they chose names that told who they were and who they wanted to be. And when the angel and her brothers and sisters got the chance to leave the bad place they took it, running towards freedom. Some of them were caught, but many lived free, finding friends, family, homes, and in the end each other. And when the angel had the chance, she returned to the bad place to set free those who had remained trapped. But that is only the start of her story. The rest will have to wait for another night."_

"_Awww Daddy! I want the rest of the story!"_

"_I know sweetie, but it is past your bedtime. If you are good tomorrow at school, I will tell you some more tomorrow night."_

"_Okay Daddy. 'night."_

_And with that, the dark headed cherub with the puppy-dog eyes snuggled down into her pillow and slept, awaiting the next bedtime and the continuation of the story._

TBC.

A/N: So here is part 1. The remainder of the story mostly deals with life after Freak Nation. Let me know if you want me to continue.


	3. Interlude

Disclaimer: Still own nothing. Sigh.

A/N: Thanks to Irnan for the positive review! Don't worry, she will get a name, but not yet!

**Interlude: The bonus of a clean child**

She had been a shining example of the perfect child all day, even refraining from her daily lunchtime fight with Jimmy Moleson at school. Now fed, bathed, smelling of baby shampoo, and sitting up in bed, she was waiting impatiently for the story promised to her the night before. Entering the bedroom, her father suppressed a smile as he wondered how much longer he could drag out the "Be good and I will tell you the story" deal.

Probably not that long.

"Okay honey, bedtime. Do you want me to carry on with the story?"

"Yes Daddy, yes! What happened to the angel?"

"Well, after the angel freed everyone from the bad place, there were some troubles. Ordinary people were afraid of all the special people."

"Special like you and me and Mommy?"

"Yes sweetie. Back then no-one had really met anyone special like us and they didn't know how to react. So they were scared, and frightened, and angry. The angel and her friends had to pretend to be normal, and the special people that were too different to pretend, they had to hide."

A cute little frown crossed her forehead and she asked the question that was puzzling her. "Why were they too different?"

"Some of the special people didn't look like ordinary humans, specials like Uncle Joshua and Uncle Mole."

"But they look normal!"

"Yes, to you they do because you see them all the time. But imagine if you had only ever seen human-looking people and suddenly you saw Uncle Mole. You would be scared!"

"Only if he didn't have a cigar. Then he would be grumpy!"

Smiling as his daughter dissolved into giggles, he shook his head and carried on with his story.

"Well, they hid for as long as they could, but there were some people that were looking for them, and they were trying to hurt them."

"No Daddy! That's not fair!"

"I know sweetie, but that's the way it happened. Now the angel had some friends that wanted to help. In particular, the Great Wizard Aeyisonlae, who could see great distances and hear the truth through the lies. He had helped the angel many times over the years as well as being her friend. He was the one that helped ordinary people realize that the specials weren't so different…"

TBC.


	4. Talking Mirrors & Magical Bears

**Chapter 2: Talking Mirrors & Magical Bears**

"… _the angel had some friends that wanted to help. In particular, the Great Wizard Aeyisonlae, who could see great distances and hear the truth through the lies. He had helped the angel many times over the years as well as being her friend. He was the one that helped ordinary people realize that the specials weren't so different…"_

Logan had died the day before. He had told us that he was immune to the hazards of Terminal City, that the transfusion of Joshua's blood protected him. Turns out he was lying to protect us.

In the months since the lock-down of Terminal City, things had eased slightly. The tanks and the National Guard were still outside the gates, but the tanks were idle and the Guards were more likely to be found smoking in the shade than aiming their weapons at us.

Cindy and Sketchy had left us near the start of the siege. They were working to spread the true word about us and to hook us up with supplies. Jam Pony had become an unofficial "Transgenic Support" center and even Normal could be counted on to locate emergency gear and Mole's cigars.

Logan had stayed. He had set up an "Eyes Only" feed, but never used it, saying it wasn't ready. We never noticed that he wasn't as energetic as he had been in the past, we were too busy trying to organize a city and keep everyone safe. It wasn't until he didn't show up to a morning meeting that we found out how sick he was. Max went over to his place and found him unconscious, lying on the floor. He never woke up, passing away later that afternoon.

It was a great shock that evening when we saw the "Eyes Only" message on TV. He had set up one last cable hack to show his message, one that lasted far longer than his normal 60 seconds.

"This is an Eyes Only streaming freedom video. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped, and it is my final message to you all."

With this, the picture widened from the normal eye shot to his full face. "My name is Logan Cale, and if this message is being broadcast, then today I died from my illness. If this causes you grief then I apologize, but there is information that the public needs to know, and that I need to show you."

"Many of you know that I am pro-Transgenic. I have helped expose government conspiracies that aimed to first hide, then wrongfully accuse, and finally to destroy Transgenics. I know who the Transgenics are. I am friends with many of them, and I have come to realize that you, the public, don't need to be told what they are like. You have heard too many words saying different things. You need to be shown. Please watch with an open mind."

With that, Logan's picture was replaced with a steady stream of still pictures as well as video clips. We never figured out how he managed to get all of the shots, but we all agreed that they were perfect. Amongst them, Joshua reading aloud to two of the smaller X6's. Mole covered in paint and with a bucket over his head after an April Fool's prank gone wrong. Video footage of the first X Series versus Freaks basketball game. Gem pacing the floor, trying to comfort her crying daughter. Alec asleep on the sofa in Ops, hair mussed, mouth open, drooling slightly.

Finally, Max. Perched on the highest roof in Terminal City, looking over the fence at a flaming X the ordinaries had set up. Her face reflecting not only the firelight, but sadness. Anger. Determination. Hope.

The picture slowly faded and Logan appeared on the screen again. "Transgenics are not evil. They don't want to kill you, or take your children. They just want to live, and be free. To be able to raise their families in peace. Just like you."

The transmission ended and normal TV was back. We didn't feel like watching.

The next morning a larger crowd than normal was gathered outside the fence, but for the first time they weren't carrying signs or chanting slogans. It was almost like they were waiting for something to happen. Something that would happen in the form of a small girl carrying a scruffy teddy bear.

She darted past the Guards and approached the fence line near one of the sentry posts we had set up. When she reached it, she put the teddy bear on the ground near a small hole in the chain-link fence and then stepped back. Looking at the confused X5 in the sentry box she spoke clearly, but with a slight lisp due to a missing front tooth. "This is Mr Muddleworthy. He is a good bear and always made me feel better. I thought that he might help the lady and the baby feel better too."

With this, she turned around and walked calmly past the Guards and back to her mother.

For a while it seemed like the whole city was holding its breath. No-one spoke, no-one moved. But the silence was broken when the X5 on sentry duty (a female called Taye) made a decision and stepped out of the booth. As the National Guard raised their rifles, Taye did the unthinkable. In the face of a possibly hostile enemy, she calmly removed her pistol and the knife that she carried, and placed them on the ground, before stepping up to the fence with her hands raised.

"Permission to retrieve the bear."

The Guards looked at each other confused as to what to do. It was the unit commander who lowered his gun. "Permission granted."

Taye stepped forward, reached through the hole in the fence and gently tugged the bear through. As she straightened up, she turned to the crowd and called out to the little girl "I will make sure she gets the bear."

She then turned to the Guard commander, quietly stating "Thank you, sir."

Taye picked up her gun, her knife, and returned her post.

The news crew in the crowd filmed the entire thing.

That wasn't the end of the hostilities. There were many more months of debates and fighting, but Logan's transmission helped show the ordinaries another side of us. The picture of Taye, barcode clearly visible, fingers tangled in teddy bear fur and with a gentle smile on her face helped even more.

"_The Great Wizard's power helped send the message about us. We lost a true friend, but his last words held his love for all of us. His message also helped the start of one of our strongest traditions. Every special child, like you, is given a teddy bear to comfort and protect you as you grow up."_

"_Now, it is very late and you should be asleep. I will tell you some more tomorrow, Okay?"_

"_Okay Daddy. Good night."_

_And she fell asleep cuddled up to the bright green teddy bear that had slept at her side for as long as she could remember._

TBC.


	5. Interlude 2

**Interlude 2: The Princess Reigns**

She hadn't been feeling well earlier that day, a slight cough and a runny nose had kept her home from school. She had struggled to stay awake until her Daddy come home to finish the story.

As he stood in the doorway to her room, he smiled to himself. Her face was flushed, her curls disarrayed, but the look of pure determination on her face was priceless.

"Well sweetie, it looks like you aren't healthy. Do you want some water?"

"No."

"Do you want something to eat?"

"No."

"Do you want a story?"

"Yes. "

"Okay, here goes. Things were.."

"Daddy."

"Yes sweetie?"

"I changed my mind about the water. Can I have a glass?"

Thirst quenched and comfy again, she settled back into the pillows and gestured imperiously for her father to continue.

"Where were we. Oh yes, I remember. Things were getting better for the angel and her friends. After the Great Wizard Aeyisonlae's last message the ordinary people started to trust the Specials a bit more. Some of the leaders of the ordinaries even went into the Specials castle to talk to the angel and her friends…"


	6. Beauty vs the Beast

**Chapter 3: Beauty vs the Beast**

_"... After the Great Wizard Aeyisonlae's last message the ordinary people started to trust the Specials a bit more. Some of the leaders of the ordinaries even went into the Specials castle to talk to the angel and her friends…"_

"Alec."

"Yes Max."

"Whose idea was it to run a "Familiar Infiltration" scenario drill today?"

"That would be mine"

"And whose idea was it to arm the "Familiars" with realistic-looking paintball guns?"

"Me again."

"And whose _brilliant _idea was it to have this scenario drill on the day when not only the Mayor and the Chief of Police for Seattle but also the Secretary of Defense for the _entire_ United States of America were visiting Terminal City?!?"

"In my defense, I didn't know about that."

"Yes you did! I sent you a memo about it last week!!!"

"So that was what that piece of paper was about. Huh."

"Alec! I am going to rip off both your testicles and…"

"Now Maxie, don't you think you are over-reacting a tad?"

"No I don't! I have two city officials covered in welts and paint, as well as the Secretary of Defense – who just happened to be a Vietnam vet – going through post-traumatic stress flashbacks! I have people in this city sleeping on sheets on the floor because there is no space. The only bonus is that some of the Manticore scientists decided that they would have a better life with us, but they told me that if we want them to stay they need all new lab equipment that we can't afford. And I have just been informed that Mole has run out of cigars again. How can this day get any worse?"

"Um, Max?"

"What!?!"

"You might want to check the monitor."

Spinning on her heel, Max stared in disbelief at the image of a squad of soldiers approaching the gates of Terminal City, with Special Agent White at the helm. Reaching the gate, he raised the bullhorn that he carried and started speaking.

"Attention to the Transgenic Residents of Terminal City. I am Special Agent Ames White and I have been authorized to put forward to you the following deal in order to try and settle this standoff. We will not pursue or persecute you if you agree to settle in a community that will be set up for the Transgenic people outside of the city limits. You will be allowed conditional permission to interact with the general populace and will be permitted to administer your own council within the community confines. The only other condition of this agreement is that the killer of Annie Fisher will be handed over to the Seattle police authorities. We will not tolerate a murderer to walk free. We require a response within the next hour."

Within the Ops center, a layer of skepticism descended.

"Hey Alec, why do I not believe him?"

"Could it be because he is a lying, deceiving, murdering, scum-sucking freak of nature with overly hairy eyebrows?"

"That could be it."

"Hmmm."

"What?"

"Do we still have Logan's Streaming Freedom video setup?"

"…Yes."

"And did Dix finish setting up the surveilance cameras in the storage shed?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Well Maxie, I am thinking that I have an idea to get Special Agent Ames White off our backs and hopefully out of our lives."

"Do tell."

"Well it goes something like this…"

……….

"…the broadcast was seen across the city utilizing what was known as the "Streaming Video" system, believed to be out of use since the passing of Logan Cale, known as Eyes Only. Channel 10 has been notified that as a result of this broadcast, Special Agent Ames White has been arrested, charged with the murder of the blind woman Annie Fisher, as well as being detained under suspicion of lying to the Grand Jury of the United States regarding the Transgenic Situation. Further investigations will be conducted into the accusations and rumors of the "Breeding Cult" mentioned in the broadcast. Channel 10 will keep you up to date on any further developments. This is Melanie Liow, reporting from Seattle. Back to you Jim."

As the reporter faded off the screen cheers and claps broke out from the Transgenics gathered in Ops. The party that had started after the removal of Ames White from the storage shed showed no sign of abating. The moonshine that Mole had been brewing in one of the sub-basements proved to be strong enough to intoxicate everyone, resulting in several scenes that would definitely have never happened otherwise. The upside of this was that they probably wouldn't be remembered in the morning.

And in the middle of this all sat Max and Alec.

"Max."

"Yes, Alec."

"Whose idea was it to lead White into the storage shed?"

"Yours, I believe."

"Yes it was. And whose idea was it to provoke White into a fight, showing his super-human speed and strength?"

"Yours again."

"And who got White started on an evil dialogue that not only implicated him in Annie's murder but also uncovered the Breeding Cult's Big Evil Plan?"

"You."

"And who had the brilliant idea to record it all on the security cameras in the storage shed and then broadcast the recording through the Streaming Video set-up."

"Do I really have to say it?"

"Yes."

"It was you."

"So…am I forgiven for the slight screw up this morning?"

"No."

"What!?!"

"But…I will let you leave with your testicles intact."

"Thank you for giving me that, at least."

"You're welcome."

And with that they sat back and proceeded to get completely drunk.

"…_and the bad men never came back. They were all caught, and the Special people were allowed to walk free amongst the ordinaries as a sign of thanks for uncovering the evil that lived among them."_

"_Well, it's time to go to sleep. Goodnight sweetie. Sweetie?'_

_But she had fallen asleep sometime during the story, exhausted from both her illness, and her determination to stay awake as long as possible._

"_Well, I'm not telling it to her again tomorrow, that's for sure."_

_And with that he tucked in his daughter, turned out the light, and closed the door, leaving her to dream of the angel watching over her._

TBC.


	7. Interlude 3

**Interlude 3: The Possum King**

"Where was I up to in the story last night?"

"I don't remember Daddy."

"What do you remember?"

"The bad men were gone. After that I think I was dreaming because I married a possum."

"A possum? Why?"

"Because he was throwing rocks at me Daddy."

"Throwing rocks at you?"

"Yes Daddy. He was a naughty possum."

"But why did you have to marry him?"

"His daddy, who was the Possum King, saw him throwing the rocks and made him marry me as punishment. I wasn't allowed to say no."

"…Okay then. Well, after the bad men were gone all the special people were happy, except for the angel. No-one needed her help anymore and she didn't know what to do…"

T.B.C.


	8. Waking Up from the Spell

**Chapter 4: Waking Up from the Spell**

_"…after the bad men were gone all the special people were happy, except for the angel. No-one needed her help anymore and she didn't know what to do…"_

It was at the weekly TC meeting that it began to dawn on Max. Sitting in the Ops center with the division leaders, she started to wonder what was happening.

"…and we need to look at re-supplying the medical center…"

"Don't need to worry about that anymore Max. Gem and Davie are talking to Harbor Lights about utilizing their facilities in exchange for limited donations of high stem-cell blood. Looks like it's going to go ahead soon."

"Oh. Okay. Well, we also need to look at upgrading the security feed cameras with…"

"Infra-red capabilities? Dix and his team did it last Friday."

"Nice to know. Taye, how are the talks with the Seattle City officials going?"

"Good, Max. Really good. They've said that we need to keep the Biohazard signs up to warn the ordinaries but other than that, we are free to make any changes as long as we stick to the city Construction Code. They'll reconnect TC to the power grid and we will have to notify them of any problems, but it looks like it's going to work out just fine."

"That's gre…"

"Max, before I forget."

"Yes Mole?"

"MDE industries just got approached by the US Navy to supply amphibious support to their submarine fleet. Do you have a way to contact Ariel and Eric to ask them for help?"

"Who are Ariel and Eric?!?"

"You know them Maxie. Remember the mermaid girl and her partner? Their real names are unpronounceable clicks and whistles but they said we could call them Ariel and Eric."

"Thanks for the clarification Alec. Who was the Disney freak who decided to call them that?"

"That would be Mole."

"…"

As Max disbelievingly turned her head to stare at the scaly transgenic, a hint of red could be seen creeping up Mole's cheekbones.

"Don't ask. Just don't ask. Anyway, do you know how to contact them?"

"Not rea…"

"Joshua knows. Will talk to them. Let you know."

'Thanks Big Fella. Well, I guess that's all. Same time next week?"

Expecting easy acceptance, Max was surprised when instead she go hesitance and uncertainty. In the end it appeared that Taye was nominated to be spokesperson via a kick to the ankle under the table.

"Um, Max, we were talking and maybe we could make the meetings monthly instead. It's not like we have the same situations as before."

That was when the realization fully kicked in.

"Oh….okay. Well, if we all agree, same time next month then."

As the room quickly emptied, Max just sat there, thoughts running through her head and filtering down to just one conclusion.

"…they don't need me."

"Huh?"

Surprised at the exclamation, Max glanced up to see Alec leaning in the doorway, a look of confusion on his face, but with hints of comprehension hiding in his eyes. Since Logans' death, Alec had become not only her Second in Command, but a friend as well. And now it felt like he was the only one who might understand.

"I'm not needed. Terminal City would run perfectly fine without me here. When did this happen?!?"

"Max, as much as this will pain me to say (since you will probably hit me after saying it), this city does not revolve around you. Yes, you were our leader during times of war, but now the war is over. Everyone is relaxing their guard and making lives for themselves. Mole and Dix have MDE industries, Taye is on the City Council, Gem and Joshua set up the day-care center. Even Original Cindy and Sketchy brought into Jam Pony and are helping Normal run it. They are happy. They have found what they want to do. And now for the big question, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know."

"What did you always want to do?"

"Alec, I never got the chance to think about that. I was always on the run, first from Manticore, then White and the Breeding Freaks. I thought that I would be running until one of them finally caught me. Now they're gone and I don't know what to do."

The silence that descended after that statement seemed to suffocate them. That was, until Alec's head rose sharply, the "Idea" lightbulb almost visable above it.

"You could keep running."

"What?"

"You said it yourself, they don't need you here. So why don't you run away? We could take the bikes, find another city, another group of people who need help and you could help them!"

"I can't just leave and…wait. What do you mean 'we'?"

"Maxie, the most important thing I did last week was help Joshua pick the color scheme of the new rooms at the day-care center. I need to escape. Besides, who else will get you out of trouble when you inevitably screw up?"

"I do believe that the screw up count is way more in your favor than it is in mine, mister!"

"Does this mean that you are going?"

"It means that …yeah. I do believe I am going. Go gas the bikes while I leave a note for Joshua and the others."

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Oh, and Alec?"

"Yeah Maxie?"

"Call me Maxie one more time and you will be singing soprano for the rest of your natural life!"

As the suitably cowed Alec departed to complete his orders, Max realized that this might be just what she needed.

Freedom

"…_and so the angel and her best friend left the Special's castle and traveled throughout the kingdom, punishing the bad guys and helping those who needed help."_

"_Daddy, do they live Happily Ever After?"_

"_I don't know sweetie, Happily Ever After hasn't arrived yet._

T.B.C 


	9. Conclusion: Happily Ever After?

**Conclusion: Happily Ever After? **

"…and so the angel and her best friend left the Special's castle and traveled throughout the kingdom, punishing the bad guys and helping those who needed help."

"Daddy, do they live Happily Ever After?"

"I don't know sweetie, Happily Ever After hasn't arrived yet. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow you have school and you need to be alert for your daily fight with Jimmy Moleson. Remember, you have to keep up the reputation of the family!"

"Yes Daddy! Love you!"

"Love you too."

And as he closed the door behind him, he heard the last thing in the world that he wanted to hear.

"Krit, did I just hear you encouraging our daughter to get into fights?!?"

"Yes…but in my defense Syl, I did encourage her to win!"

From the look that descended over his wife's face, he realized that he probably shouldn't have said that.

"From now on, I am telling the stories!"

"Anything you say, Oh Shining Example of Perfection!"

And with that our story ends, because if you can't end with Happily Ever After, at least finish before the insults start flying.

**FIN.**

_A/N: Thanks to everyone for sticking with me throughout this story. This will teach me to ALWAYS have the plot-line set out before I start. Special thanks to those who reviewed, especially Irnan. Cookies to you all!_


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